Don't Have A 3.3 GPA? Then You Can't Go To The Game

[Capt_Picard 0]

I thought that this story might turn a few heads...

Don't Have A 3.3 GPA? Then You Can't Go To The Game

 

March 1, 2006

 

By Keith Eldridge

 

TACOMA - The state's No. 1-ranked 3A high school basketball team had to leave most of its student fans behind for its opening round game.

 

Renton High School set strict academic standards for any students hoping to go to the state tournament. Students needed a B+ average (3.3) to go to Wednesday morning's game.

 

The Renton cheerleaders were there, the Renton band was there, and the Renton parents were there. But most of the student body was not.

 

Only six of the 60 kids who made the grade signed up to be here to watch their top-ranked basketball team play its first game at the state 3A tournament.

 

The rest of the students are back in class. It's only 9 o'clock in the morning on a school day. School officials said only students with a B+ average and above can come.

 

"We want students to focus on academics," said Assistant principal Ed Crow. "We want students in the classroom."

 

Some of the parents and kids don't agree with the tough academic policy.

 

"They shouldn't even have had school," said Parent Arthur Robinson. "The whole school should have come."

 

Student Kelly Barefield said, "I think the grade average should have been lowered at least to 3.0 or 2.5. Then we would have more fans."

 

There is an exception to the rule. Some students are here who don't have to have 3.3 GPA -- it's the basketball team. Players only need a 2.0 / C average. That's set by the state high school association.

 

"The basketball players have 2.0 to come, why don't we have 2.0 to come?" one student wondered.

 

Crow says, "I don't think it's a double standard. The athletes are here to participate in an event they earned their way to."

 

And Renton stands alone. Lindbergh High, which is also in the Renton district, has no restriction. All students can come no matter what their grades.

 

Renton High School says athletics are important, but they're not going overshadow academics.

 

Since Renton won Wednesday's game, Thursday's game is after school and all are welcome to go.

 

To note my high school was top last year and nothing like this was put in place. Also, Ken has a comment on this to...

Ken's Commentary: Renton Educators Bricked Their Shot

 

March 2, 2006

 

By Ken Schram

 

SEATTLE - File this one under educators who don't have a clue and don't give a damn.

 

The folks who run Renton High School blew it.

 

Big time.

 

Here they've got the top ranked basketball team in the state; record of 24 and 0.

 

But when the team took off for the first day of the state tournament, most of the student body was made to stay behind.

 

That's because the dunderheads who run Renton High arbitrarily decided that ONLY students with a B+ average; ONLY students weren't missing any homework assignments; ONLY students who hadn't missed more than two classes, were the ONLY students who could go to the game.

 

It's one thing to stand on academic principles.

 

That's a good thing.

 

But it's another to just torment kids.

 

I understand that no one on the basketball team has a B+ average.

 

And I gotta wonder how many of the band members who got to go to the game have a book report that's late.

 

But in choosing between benevolent educator and malevolent dictator, the principal decided that being hard-nosed was the only way to underscore that academics are important.

 

It was a pitiful way to make an otherwise valid point.

 

Want to share your thoughts with Ken Schram? You can e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com

So, what do you think?

[MrPsychic 1]

I think that's a good idea, Ken just wants to appear like he's rooting for the underdog... It's a way to actually give kids something that they can see directly in front of them. A type of instant reward for doing their work. Wow, it's amazing, kids who do their work and go to school get rewards...

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

I think it is an interesting idea, but a 3.3 GPA is a bit high. Heck. the Honor Roll at my high school was only 3.0. Isn't a 2.0 supposed to be "average"? Why are they punishing the excellers who just aren't super-excellers?

[Kor37 9]

Personally, I think having a basketball game during school hours is stupid. The kids should be in school during those hours, not watching a basketball game. I agree that if the game MUST be played during classtime, then those students that bust their butt and get good grades should be the only ones allowed to skip class.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Oh, I didn't realise this game was during school time. In that case what the school is doing (other than making the game during school time) isn't that bad.

[stvoyagerfan 1]

i think it was sort of wrong to have a lesser gpa for the team than the rest of the student body. it should have been equal for everyone. at my high school it used to be a little known fact that if you were a senior you automatically made the team not matter how good you were. so it seems that athletes sometimes get treated a little better than everyone else.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

At first, I thought this was a terrific idea. After having read Ken's thoughts, I still thought so. After reading you guys, I wonder now.

 

Academics come before sports. Get it through your skulls, people. (not you guys, specifically, just people in general.)

 

However, 3.3 is a little high, even though I never had a problem maintaining that level in high school. Spectatorship of a local thing really isn't a good milieu for this kind of elitism.

 

Also, if you start restricting students from watching the games, you'll have to apply it to all extracurricular activities. Sorry, you can't go to the theatre department's production of "Into The Woods." These things have enough trouble drawing audiences as it is.

 

3.3 as a minimum GPA for the athletes themselves to maintain, however, is another argument. <_<

[Kor37 9]

Also, if you start restricting students from watching the games, you'll have to apply it to all extracurricular activities. Sorry, you can't go to the theatre department's production of "Into The Woods."

 

Thats a completely different situation. First off, 99% of extracurricular activities take place after school. Secondly, theater departments don't do plays in the middle of a school day.

 

If the game was played after school and the school imposed those restrictions, I would have a problem with it. But there is no reason for any kid to skip classes just to watch a basketball game.

 

These type of standards are applied to other areas of school as well. My son rarely has to take a final exam. Why? Because he busts his hump studying and gets straight A's. Thats his reward.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

Also, if you start restricting students from watching the games, you'll have to apply it to all extracurricular activities. Sorry, you can't go to the theatre department's production of "Into The Woods."

 

Secondly, theater departments don't do plays in the middle of a school day.

The matinees I've done beg to differ.

 

If the game was played after school and the school imposed those restrictions, I would have a problem with it. But there is no reason for any kid to skip classes just to watch a basketball game.

And no reason to skip classes to play in one. Just like band festivals shouldn't take place during school time, but they do.

 

These type of standards are applied to other areas of school as well. My son rarely has to take a final exam. Why? Because he busts his hump studying and gets straight A's. Thats his reward.

Well, I think that an A in the class is reward enough, but that's another issue altogether.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

What you have to remember is that many extra-curicular activities are equivalent to classes in some schools. For example, when I ran cross country and track it counted as P.E. When I was on the debate team it counted as English. My JROTC counted as Civics. In that sense having a certain GPA to take these actvities is unfair since you wouldn't need the GPA to take the equivalents, and you as a student are getting some benefit out of them.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Every year my school's Navy JROTC unit takes a Long Range field trip to San Diego. you have to have a 2.0 GPA to go, and get your assignments from teachers ahead of time. Now, this trip isn't a vacation to San Diego in the middle of a Chicago winter. the Cadets going on the trip essentially live the life of real life Military for 5 or 7 days in a City that has probably the highest percentage of Military Persons living there per capita. When I went on the trip my Senior year, we arrived on a sunday in the afternoon, got to the barracks, unpacked and got the barracks organised and the watchbills set, then marched to dinner, and had a study night. During the week, we visited various Navy and Marine Corps facilities, including touring a warship, participating in the Navy's Damage Control Flood Simulator, Visited a helicopter squadron and a Viking Squadron, and watched a Marine Corps Basic Training graduation, among other things. I think it was Wednesday we also had another study night. Saturday we went to Disney Land. It was, with the exception of the trip to Disney and the nightly "Liberty" to study or go to the Pool Hall, very much a school activity.

 

Now, if I was the school, I would have done something similar. Students must have a min. 2.0 GPA, get permission from their teachers (Who's classes they will be missing, even if it means all of their classes), and get their assignments for that day. the same would apply to the Team, Band, and Cheerleaders. With all that out of the way, the students who are going would arrive at school as usual, then they would take the school's busses to the game, and back. (I'd do that because I know how HS kids are. If they aren't forced to take the bus, they'll use it as an excuse to ditch.) I'd also assign students to a bus. If they don't muster onto the bus, both before and after the game, and don't show up in classes, they will get a UA for any classes missed. But, that's me, and I'm a freakin' dickhead, so....

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

A week away from classes in one thing, and I don't think what your school did is that extreme. You don't want borderline students to be away from instruction for a week so a GPA rule in that situation is justified. An afternoon at a game that is still on campus is completely different.

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Was the game on campus? The picture looks like it was more likely at a college or professional arena. If it was on-campus, then I'd say let the students go, so long as we have room in the Gym. If it was away somewhere else, then I'd probably impliment the procedures I mentioned.

[Capt_Picard 0]

The Washington state High School Basketball Finals are held at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wahington. Also, Renton lost its quarterfinals match (this was the game that all the students could go to on the 2nd of March) ... Renton is a 3A team.